SMAC Electric & Silent Flight

Silent Flight

General Information:

Silent Flight flys from our well mown grass runway and uses either 2.4 Ghz or 35Mhz Frequencies on even numbers. We fly Electric Gliders and also Electric Models with larger wheels and the power to take off from the grass runway.

Electric Sport and Scale

This is the fastest growing area of aero modelling worldwide. It is enviromentally friendly with no direct pollution and low noise impact.

Most purpose built electric models are either moulded foam or lightweight balsa built models but most traditional i.c powered models can be converted to electric due to the huge variety and power outputs available from modern brushless motors and lithium polymer batteries. The benefits are quiet operation, reliable power, lots of torque from low rpm and the ability to reverse thrust. The downsides are limited flight times and battery charging times between flights.

Multi-engine type models like the trio of B17's below are far easier to fly with electric power than trying to tune i.c engines to match power outputs.

Ducted fan models can be flown on site but only after they have been noise tested and registered with the club DF liason

Electric Thermal models

Electric Thermal Soaring

Electric Thermal gliders use a motor with a folding prop to get the model to altitude. Once at height, the motor is switched off either by the pilot or by an onboard altimeter at a preset height. The prop folds flush to the fuselge and the glider is flown as a thermal soaring glider. This does away with the need for a long bungee cord launcher or an aero-tow from another powered model. If the model should lose altitude then the pilot reengages the motor and climbs back up rather than having to land and relaunch.

An Electric Thermal Soaring model with folding prop

Slope Soaring

Some of our members fly Slope Soaring Models from a variety of local sites like Liddington Hill, Badbury Castle and Uffington WHite Horse Hill depending on the wind direction. These sites are ideal for various type of sport and scale gliders.

Slope Soaring is a unique discipline where you can fly anything and use the lift of the wind to fly at close quarters to see how you and your model reacts to the elements of the day.